Gangland January 18th 2024

[Dr031718]

Deadbeat Gambler Who Triggered The One Punch Assault Of A Manhattan Restaurateur Over An 86K Gambling Debt Had Won $500,000 A Few Weeks Earlier

There's a new twist to the case of the one-punch assault for which aging Genovese wiseguy Anthony (Rom) Romanello stands convicted of delievering to a Manhattan restaurateur. Gang Land has learned that a high-rolling gambler has told the feds that he triggered the assault by stiffing a Queens bookmaker out of $80,000 several weeks after he had pocketed half a million dollars in winnings.

Law enforcement sources say the gambler, Eldar (Eddie) Dervisevic told the feds that he wanted to pay the mob-linked bookmakers but that he had used his winnings to buy a new house and just didn't have the dough at the time. According to trial testimony, Dervisevic had a $25,000 credit line with the bookmaker, and was allowed to wager up to $5000 on a sporting event.

Dervisevic, as his brother-in-law, Fiton (Toni) Selimaj testified at trial, eventually got the money to pay his debt from his father, a successful businessman. But that was only after Romanello punched Selimaj's uncle, Bruno Selimaj, owner of the Lincoln Square Steakhouse, and demanded that Bruno cough up the $86,000 that Eddie and Toni had lost. Eddie had lost 80,000, Toni had lost $6000, according to trial testimony.

Following a meeting that the duo had with Bruno Selimaj, and his brother Nino, the owner of Nino's Restaurant on the Upper East Side, Bruno gave $6000 to his brother Nino to cover their nephew's debt, and Eddie's father gave $80,000 in cash to Nino. He in turn gave the money to Rom's codefendant Joseph Celso, a longtime customer of Nino's who was convicted of conspiring with Rom to collect the debt.

Romanello, 86, was convicted of using extortionate means — his punch in the mouth of Bruno Selimaj on May 11, 2017 — to collect the money that Dervisevic and Toni Selimaj had lost in wagers they made with codefendant Luan (Lou) Bexheti. A runner for the Queens bookmaker, Bexheti pleaded guilty before trial.

The sources say that Dervisevic had begun betting with Bexheti in late 2016 after Toni told him he had met a bookie while working as a waiter at Club A Steakhouse, another eatery that his uncle Bruno owned.

A few months later, Dervisevic was captured on a February 18, 2017 surveillance video as he followed Bexheti through a Rite Aid store and into a parking lot where he was paid $100,000

The sources say the new information that Dervisevic had won $500,000 before he stiffed the bookmaker for $80,000, has no impact on the verdict. That was based on the use of extortion to collect the $80,000 debt, and had nothing to do with Eddie's winnings. But it explains why the bookmaker, Michael Regan, who was not charged in the case, was very upset.

Regan was right behind Rom when he served up his knuckle sandwich to Bruno.

For what it's worth, real estate records, according to Property Shark, the online real estate database, back up the proposition that Dervisevic used his $420,000 in winnings to purchase a home in New Jersey during that time frame.

At the time, the sources say, Dervisevic had earned a reputation as a "winner" and had been "blackballed" by other bookies as a "pro" and a "shark" whose bets they didn't want. As a result, he began betting anonymously by having his brother-in-law place his bets with Bexheti.

Before he did that, the sources say, Dervisevic "checked around" and learned that Bexheti was hooked up with the "Genovese family" and that "they did the right thing," that is, "they pay if you win."

By February 18, 2017, according to trial testimony by Toni Selimaj, Eddie had surfaced as the real gambler so he could raise his credit line to $25,000 and the amounts he could wager on a single event to $5000.

But a few weeks later, by March 17, 2017, according to trial testimony, Bexheti was tape recorded pushing Toni to give up Eddie's home address because of the unpaid debt.

"Eddie was giving them bullshit excuses," for not coming up with the money, Toni testified. "It wasn't that he wasn't paying up," he testified, "he was just feeding them excuses to buy time" to enable him to get the money to pay a new Regan employee, Robert Utnick, who had begun dealing with Eddie when his credit line was raised.

After an April 5, 2017 taped call was played for the jury, Toni testified that after Bexheti was heard telling him that Romanello and others had gone to see his uncle Bruno "for my debt and Eddie's debt" that was still unpaid, Toni told Bexheti that he knew about their visit because his uncle had told him about it.

The following month, after Rom had punched Bruno in the mouth during his third visit to his uncle's restaurant, Eddie stopped making excuses, Toni testified.

"I called Eddie, made him call his father that was overseas," Toni testified. He "came back two days later, we got the money and we paid it off. I just didn't want any more issues after that point," he said. "I didn't want no more problems, I didn't want any more issues, so I made sure that my brother-in-law got the chunk of money and paid it off."

The sources say that Dervisevic, who works with his father in the construction industry, told his dad that he needed the cash for a real estate investment, not that he owed the money to a mob-linked bookmaker. They add that Dervisevic later told his old man the truth and ultimately paid him back, "on the installment plan."

Gang Land's sources declined to say whether Eddie Dervisevic has found a new bookmaker who doesn't consider him a "pro" or "shark" and will take his bets. Or if he has begun using one of the many legalized sports betting opportunities that gamblers can now use to lose their money. Or if Dervisevic has given gambling up entirely.

But the fact that his brother-in-law Toni never won a bet back in 2017 when he was betting with Lou Bexheti, or the stress he faced when his uncle was punched in the mouth, haven't changed him, according to the answer he gave to the first question he was asked by Romanello attorney Gerald McMahon, according to a transcript of his testimony.

Q. "When did you place your last bet?"
A. "Last night."

Brooklyn Federal Judge Eric Komitee sustained an objection to the query, and told the jury to disregard the question and answer. During a sidebar discussion, the judge ruled that McMahon could not question him about Toni's addiction to gambling that the government brought out in an effort to show that it was merely "an attempt to get sympathy for him from the jury."

Komitee stated that "the government's question about his gambling addiction" was not "geared towards eliciting sympathy so much as just being basic context for why this guy gambles" and ruled that McMahon's efforts to paint it as a push for sympathy was "totally irrelevant."

On Tuesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reserved a decision on McMahon's appeal of Komitee's decision to remand Romanello to await sentencing for his conviction after hearing oral arguments on whether Rom's age, and the fact that the assault took place seven years ago were "exceptional reasons" that should let him remain free on the same bail he had before trial.

G-Man Gerard Conrad, Worth More Than His Weight In Gold To the FBI; RIP

Gerard (Jerry) Conrad retired 10 years ago after supervising an FBI squad that put dozens of Gambino gangsters behind bars during a quietly illustrious 25-year career. But Conrad was a G-Man until the day the Grim Reaper called him a week before Christmas when he lost a four-year-long bout with throat cancer at the too young age of 62.

Dozens of former and current agents, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, were among the hundreds of mourners who showed up to pay their respects to Conrad and express their condolences to his family members at his wake in Morganville, NJ, and at his funeral in Matawan, where Conrad, a New Jersey native lived with his family.

The one-day wake at the Waitt Funeral Home "was packed," said one former agent. "I've been to a lot of them in recent years, but this one was the most crowded. He was such a great guy. There were so many people, it took about 45 minutes before we could reach Jerry's family members and express our regrets."

"He was one of the finest people I know," said Philip Scala, a former FBI agent and close friend who worked with Conrad for years. "He was a quiet warrior. He never told anyone about his accomplishments. He always stayed in the background. But if you needed someone to carry a heavy load, you could always count on Jerry."

"And he never complained about his personal problems," added Scala. Several months ago, Scala and two other agents, Paul Harris, and Vincent O'Hara, had lunch in Howard Beach with Conrad, a get-together that the group had been holding for years. They were saddened to notice that their longtime friend was hurting badly.

"He dropped his glasses on the floor; he couldn't pick them up," said Scala. "It was a struggle for him to put the scrambled eggs in his mouth. But he said, 'I'm fine, feeling great.' He was dying, but he never complained. 'I'm doing great,' he said."

"About a week before he died," said Scala, "he knew he wasn't going to make it to Christmas, he told his wife, Jeanine, 'Don't have the wake until after the holidays.' He didn't want to trouble anybody. That's the kind of guy he was. He didn't want his death to ruin Christmas or Hanukah or New Years for anyone."

Conrad died on December 18. He was waked on January 5. His funeral mass, attended by hundreds including FBI Director Wray, was the following day at St. Clement Roman Catholic Church in Matawan. Mourners noted that Wray was in the first pew during the funeral mass, and was the last mourner to pass Conrad's coffin and place his thumbprint on it before it was raised into the hearse for its long trip to Illinois. Conrad was interred last week at the Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois.

After he retired, Conrad, a CPA and an attorney, worked as a consultant for the FBI on civil forfeitures where he was literally worth more than his weight in gold bullion, said Scala.

"I spoke to a few still working agents and they said Jerry was the number one forfeiture person in the entire FBI for fiscal year 2023, when he was suffering and dying from cancer," said Scala. "He was responsible for $3.5 billion in recoveries. And true to Jerry’s humility, he personally never made mention of it."

Director Wray, and the FBI, declined to discuss the specifics of Conrad's work on organized crime, or as a contract employee who worked on civil forfeitures.

In a statement, the FBI said: "Jerry Conrad gave more than 30 years to the FBI as an agent, professional staffer, and later as a contractor and suffered from a 9/11 related illness and will be remembered for his dedication and bravery." Wray, the statement said, has "attended the funerals of current and former employees who have passed away due to 9/11-related illnesses to honor their service and sacrifice."

Conrad worked organized crime cases in Chicago and white collar crime cases in New York before joining the FBI's Gambino squad in 1998. During the next 16 years, he was an important player in the 2008 indictment of 62 Gambinos and associates, and in two racketeering cases, both convictions, of boss Peter Gotti. Conrad was also a supervisor of the 2011 Mafia Takedown Day arrests of 25 Gambinos, including former consigliere Bartholemew (Bobby Glasses) Vernace.

On the witness stand at Vernace's trial two years later, Conrad testified about meetings that Bobby Glasses had with mobsters Joseph (JoJo) Corozzo and Alphonse Trucchio that he had seen on August 15, 2006 while he was taking a break in Forest Park, a few blocks from his gig at the FBI office in Kew Gardens, Queens.

At about 3:45 pm that day, he testified, he spotted the three familiar faces sitting at a table and chatting behind a cyclone fence. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he knew that putting the three mobsters together just might be relevant at some point, so "I called back to the office to get some agents there with a camera" to record the session for posterity, he testified.

The photos of the trio that agents took at 4:22 that day, still talking to each other, as well as one they took ten minutes later of Bobby Glasses and Corozzo talking privately, as Trucchio stood out of earshot about 20 feet away, were introduced into evidence at Vernace's trial. The talk between the two older mobsters lasted "just a short while," said Conrad, "two to three minutes."

The pictures, weren't smoking gun evidence, and Conrad, as was his persona, downplayed their importance, and his testimony about his walk in the park when Gang Land asked him about them 10 years ago.

But prosecutors used them, and Conrad's detailed account, to tie Bobby Glasses to two powerful Gambino mobsters more than 30 years after he had gunned down two bar owners and convince the jury that the killings over a spilled drink in the Shamrock Bar in 1981 were Gambino family activity and that Vernace was guilty of racketeering and murder.

In addition to his wife, Jeanine, Conrad is also survived by a son, Thomas Theodore and a daughter, Victoria, along with many nieces and nephews.

Labor Racketeer Guilty In Scam Using Sister Of Genovese Chieftain's Romantic Partner

Longtime Genovese crime family labor racketeer Lawrence (Larry) Wecker, the central figure among eight defendants charged with fraudulently using phony women-owned or minority-owned drywall companies to steal millions of dollars from city and state agencies, copped a plea deal last week to state racketeering charges.

Wecker, 83, pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption and weapons possession charges before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Althea Drysdale. He'll be sentenced in April to a prison term of two to six years in prison, according to an agreement between his lawyers and the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Wecker has also agreed to make restitution of $150,000 to the New York State Insurance Fund and serve three years on probation after his prison term.

Lisa Rossi, the owner of LNR Construction, the bogus woman-owned company that Wecker used to get contracts but did no work during the seven-year-long scam, from 2015 to 2022, according to the 60-count racketeering indictment in the case, is currently discussing a plea deal with prosecutors.

Rossi, 52, is the sister of the longtime romantic partner of Genovese crime family boss Liborio (Barney) Bellomo.

Despite the presence of Genovese tied figures in the case, the DA's office stopped short of calling the crimes mob-related. Wecker's past mob convictions for similar crimes, in both state and federal court, were never cited when the indictments were announced.

Prosecutors for DA Alvin Bragg have told attorneys for Rossi that they are amenable to her receiving a plea deal calling for a promise of a no jail sentence, but have thus far insisted that she must plead guilty to a felony count. Her case was adjourned last week until February 27.

Rossi's sister, Nancy is the "N" in the company's name. Sources on both sides of the law say Nancy Rossi is Bellomo's main squeeze these days, and a co-owner of a building lot in the Crestwood section of Yonkers where the couple is planning to build a new home.

The Genovese chieftain, and Nancy Rossi, are not charged in any wrongdoing in the case. Lisa Rossi is charged with being a "pass through" owner of a woman-owned business who enabled Wecker to satisfy city and state requirements to obtain subsidies for major building projects.

Lisa Rossi, whose firm is located in East Harlem at 501 East 116th Street, was heard telling Wecker in one tape recorded call, "Stop telling people I'm an owner. I'm a pass through."

LNR, according to the indictment, enabled Wecker's firm, JM3 Construction to "increase its government-subsidized affordable housing business" by using Rossi's company to obtain contracts it couldn't have gotten without stating that LNR was a woman-owned subcontractor that would be doing the drywall work.

JM3 Construction pleaded guilty to scheme to defraud and faces a fine. Subcontractor Joseph Guintai, 48, and his company JACG Construction, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud.

[Southshore88]

Thanks for posting. Was expecting to have some sort of write up on Cirillo but I guess it’ll be next week

[Uforeality]

Barney seems just outside of the Feds web... they're closing in, slowly. And a big thanks for posting the article.

[NYNighthawk]

Barney seems just outside of the Feds web... they're closing in, slowly. And a big thanks for posting the article.

+1

[sharpieone]

Barney seems just outside of the Feds web... they're closing in, slowly. And a big thanks for posting the article.

+1

Yup. But unless someone in his inner circle catches a murder case, no one is giving up anything. Seems they’ve exhausted resources by harassing Ralph for small potatoes. Now this thing with the woman. Will probably put the screws on Rom as he’s likely never going to get out. Still…nothing.

[Little_Al1991]

Thanks for posting

[CornerBoy]

only way they will arrest Barney is if one of the 4 or 5 guys that are super close to him flip
Disconcerting that they let these guys that in some cases manufacture charges against mobsters- as we've seen on utube, there are a large sampling of "men" that are either drugged up, borderline retarded, wife beaters and some cases much worse.

[Cheech]

I still have absolutely no idea how Rom was even arrested let alone convicted. Wild…

The worst part is this gambler won big the week before. Ask anyone in that business. Its the absolute worst thing you can do in that world.

[Blunts]

I still have absolutely no idea how Rom was even arrested let alone convicted. Wild…

The worst part is this gambler won big the week before. Ask anyone in that business. Its the absolute worst thing you can do in that world.

The whole Rom case seems fishy. There is more too it than what went on. Feds have a hard on for him.

Crazy how close they got to Barney but never managed to get him on anything and you fucken know they were busting their asses to connect him in any way at all to that racket. Agree they will have to get someone close to flip on a serious charge to get anything on him now.

Also thanks for posting. Much appreciated.

[Stroccos]

I still have absolutely no idea how Rom was even arrested let alone convicted. Wild…

The worst part is this gambler won big the week before. Ask anyone in that business. Its the absolute worst thing you can do in that world.

Joke of a case , guy should of been beaten half to death for this . Major insult winning 500kthen not paying
I wonder if the jury would think any different had they heard that . I would tend to think so
A love tap from a 80 year old man, I think he walks had they heard that

[SonnyBlackstein]

I still have absolutely no idea how Rom was even arrested let alone convicted. Wild…

The worst part is this gambler won big the week before. Ask anyone in that business. Its the absolute worst thing you can do in that world.

Guys name is out there now. He wont be in NY long.

[JohnnyS]

Is anybody else having issues with logging in to Gangland? Every time I try to log in it says account expired even though I have a subscription.

[Dr031718]

Is anybody else having issues with logging in to Gangland? Every time I try to log in it says account expired even though I have a subscription.

Just tried logging In. No issues on my phone